Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

MassDOT Aeronautics Reaching Out

Posted by Christopher J. Willenborg
MassDOT Aeronautics Division Administrator

The MassDOT Aeronautics Division this month partnered with the Massachusetts Airport Management Association (MAMA) for their first quarterly general membership meeting, hosted at Worcester Regional Airport.  MAMA is one of the largest aviation stakeholders group in the Commonwealth with over 120 members.  The MAMA quarterly meetings are an excellent opportunity for MassDOT to reach out to the aviation stakeholders across the Commonwealth.

 
I was pleased to speak to the group about MassDOT and the Aeronautics Division since our official beginning on November 1, 2009.  I provided an update on the Statewide Airport System Plan Update, the Massachusetts LPV Approach System Project, Five Year Airport Capital Improvement Program, 2010 Real World Design Challenge, 2010 Statewide Economic Impact Study, and outreach efforts to other state agencies.

We also heard from David Dinneen, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Airport Management Association, and LaVerne Reid, Manager of the New Region FAA Airports Office, with updates about their organizations. 

I wish to sincerely thank MAMA for the strong partnership in addressing general aviation issues throughout the Commonwealth and Andrew Davis, Airport Director of Worcester Regional Airport, for graciously hosting the event in the terminal building.  We look forward to future collaboration.

I invite everyone to visit our website for information about general aviation airports, airshows, aircraft registration, and much more.

 

Milton, Mattapan Safety Projects Advance

Governor Deval Patrick today announced that funding has been approved for critical roadway intersection and sidewalk improvement projects in Mattapan and Milton.

The $750,000 Mattapan project will include reconstruction of the intersection of Morton Street and Gallivan Boulevard, including realignment of the multiple road intersection and traffic signal improvements. The $210,000 Milton project will redesign and enhance a key pedestrian walkway along Eliot Street, including new sidewalks and street curbing.  MassDOT’s Highway Division will work with the Mattapan and Milton communities in 2010 on design and construction of these transportation safety projects.

Learn more about MassDOT road and bridge projects.

Weston Toll Plaza Changes

In response to customer feedback, MassDOT today announced improvements at the I-90 East Weston toll plaza near I-95/Route 128 that add two extra Fast Lanes during peak commuter and traffic hours.  Effective immediately during the morning commute as many as five Fast Lanes may be open, as seen at left.

The Weston toll plaza is the busiest with 35,000 drivers on an average weekday. Congestion is especially high during the morning commute due to traffic heading into Boston and merging with traffic from I-95/Route 128.  MassDOT crews have modified two cash toll lanes to allow them to be quickly switched between manual and electronic Fast Lane tolls.  This new change allows for as many as five Fast Lanes during peak commuter hours and fewer on holiday weekends and other times when the number of cash customers are higher. The dedicated Fast Lane ramp from I-95/Route 128 to I-90 East remains closed indefinitely to allow for better traffic flow through the Weston toll plaza.

Learn more about the Weston tolls changes.

Check out the MassDOT traffic cameras, including several live views of the Weston toll plaza area on I-90 and I-95, at www.mass.gov/511/cameras

Historic Bridges Project Public Meeting Set

MassDOT will hold a public information meeting on the River Street Bridge & Western Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation project at the following date, time, and location:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 6:00-8:00PM
Honan-Allston Branch Library, 300 North Harvard Street, Allston

The meeting will provide an overview of the proposed rehabilitation of the historic Western Avenue Bridge, left, and River Street Bridge, introduce MassDOT’s design team, and answer questions.

The River Street Bridge/Western Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project is part of Governor Deval Patrick's historic 8-year, $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program to repair hundreds of structurally-deficient bridges.

The project will repair deterioration of the bridges, upgrade structural capacity and improve local street connections and accessibility, while respecting and preserving to the extent possible the historic elements of the landmark bridges. The River Street Bridge, built in 1926, and the Western Avenue Bridge, built in 1924, connect Cambridge and Boston and are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

To learn more about the public meeting, contact Stephanie Boundy, 617-973-8049, Stephanie. Boundy@state.ma.us.  The Accelerated Bridge Program website is here.

Study: South Coast Rail Improves Environment

Posted by Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail Project Manager

As part of the environmental work on the South Coast Rail project, MassDOT has completed more than 5,000 pages of technical information on a dozen aspects of the project.  The project’s newest report addresses secondary and cumulative growth and is probably the most comprehensive effort of its kind in New England.  The report concludes that combining new transit with smart growth – clustering jobs, homes and transit where people already are – offers the South Coast a greener future than one with no transit or transit with no smart growth.

The study predicts that environmental impacts the South Coast will experience from expected growth will be reduced between 21% and 30% if the region pursues a smart growth future. Ten thousand fewer acres will be developed – that’s about 10,000 football fields - by implementing the smart growth measures called for by the project’s Corridor Plan.  This new study confirms that a thoughtful marriage between transportation, economic development and environmental planning can enhance the region’s quality of life.   The full report is posted on www.mass.gov/southcoastrail.

New jobs, homes and development are projected for the South Coast region by 2030.  Regional Planners welcome the growth but know it can also bring some unwanted changes to the historic farms and villages, fields, forests and cities.  A smart growth future on the South Coast including rail will: 

Take the equivalent of a car driving around the world 20 times off the roads every day
Preserve farmland equal to 20 Dike Creek Farms in Dartmouth
Stop the clearing of forest land the size of the Freetown-Fall River State Forest
Limit impacts to biodiversity in an area the size of Lakeville, Freetown, Dighton, and Berkley combined
Reduce the amount of water consumed by each household by 21 gallons per day

While no one can predict exactly how or where development will unfold over the next 20 years on the South Coast, this study demonstrates that incorporating smart growth can help develop more livable and vibrant neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the region, while protecting the South Coast’s natural resources.

MassDOT Community Forums

MassDOT as part of its You Move Massachusetts Civic Engagement Initiative today announced it will hold a series of community forums on transportation across the Commonwealth.  The January forum is scheduled for:

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 5:30-6:45PM
Framingham Town Hall, Blumer Room, 150 Concord St., Framingham

The location is fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

The Framingham forum will include an overview of MassDOT and updates on Framingham Commuter Rail Service and the CSX–MassDOT Rail Agreement. The majority of the time will be made available for questions, answers, and comments. 

The new, unified MassDOT is the result of the historic transportation reform bill signed into law by Governor Patrick in 2009.  Its four divisions include Highway, Rail & Transit, Aeronautics, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles.   These community forums will work to increase public awareness of the day to day operations and long range planning of MassDOT, and engage public input into MassDOT’s decision making processes.

Please visit our website to learn more about MassDOT.

STRAP Grants Boost Public Safety

The Patrick-Murray Administration has given formal approval to Small Town Road Assistance Program (STRAP) grants for critical road reconstruction projects in Ashburnham, Avon, Becket, Monroe, and New Marlborough.  The MassDOT grants of up to $500,000 target projects that improve public safety and promote economic development in smaller communities.  The projects include:

Ashburnham- $500,000 for paving and reclamation of 2.5 miles of Rindge Turnpike Road to address poor pavement and roadway flooding conditions. 

Avon- $500,000 for reconstruction, drainage improvements, and new sidewalks on Pond Street to address neighborhood flooding caused by insufficient drainage. 

Becket: $500,000 for resurfacing and drainage improvements on Algerie Road and Bonnie Hill Road to address current hazardous roadway conditions.

Monroe: $250,000 for Kingsley Hill Road reconstruction to address hazardous conditions after one lane of the road and the embankment washed away.

New Marlborough: $500,000 for reconstruction of 3.4 miles of Clayton Road to address extreme pavement cracking and deterioration.

The grants were approved through MassDOT following a competitive application process.  The 2008 transportation bond bill signed by Governor Patrick expanded the number of communities eligible for STRAP grants by raising the population threshold from 3,500 to 7,000.  Additional grant awards are expected in FY2011.  Learn more about the STRAP program.      

MBTA: Public Tips Lead to Arrest

Posted by Paul MacMillan, Chief
MBTA Transit Police Department

The MBTA Transit Police Department and the Cambridge Police Department would like to sincerely thank the public for their assistance in helping to identify an individual who was wanted by both agencies.

It is alleged that this individual indecently assaulted females and committed acts of Open and Gross Lewdness on the MBTA and in the City of Cambridge. After requesting the assistance of the public, the Transit Police and Cambridge Police received a number of tips. These tips led to a positive identification of the individual who was subsequently arrested at his residence in Dorchester Tuesday. The 27-year-old suspect was booked at Transit Police Headquarters for three counts of Open and Gross Lewdness and will also be booked at the Cambridge Police Department for two counts of Indecent Assault & Battery and one count of Open & Gross Lewdness. He will be arraigned in Cambridge District Court.

Both agencies took immediate action to apprehend the individual, but it was the swift and active cooperation of the public that led to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator.

MBTA Bus Route 39 Improvements

The MBTA is planning major service improvements along Bus Route 39, one of MBTA's busiest routes operating between Forest Hills and the Back Bay.  The public is invited to a meeting to review recommendations for the proposed improvements at the following date, time, and location:

Wednesday, February 3, 6:00-8:00PM, Curley School, 493 Centre Street

The improvements include reduced bus trip times, better service reliability, enhanced bus stops and shelters, and improved passenger comfort and convenience. The purpose of the meeting is to review the overall recommendations that have been developed through the 2009 Working Group public process.

For more information, contact Erik Scheier at the MBTA, 617-222-3214.

MassDOT Moves on Healthy Transportation

The Healthy Transportation Compact kick-off meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, January 20th from 3-5pm, Massachusetts Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, 3rd Floor Conference Room #2.

The Healthy Transportation Compact is a key requirement of the transportation reform law. The goals include expanding mobility, improving public health, supporting a cleaner environment, and creating stronger communities.

The MassDOT transportation vision includes a strong commitment to pedestrian and bicycle access. Walking and bicycling move people out of single-occupant vehicles, reduce traffic congestion, and promote healthy lifestyles and a cleaner environment.

MassDOT will strengthen this commitment through better coordination of bicycle and pedestrian projects, investments in pedestrian and bicycle safety, and expanding the pedestrian and bicycle facilities network statewide.  Partnerships are being formed with advocates and public health professionals. 

Learn more about that commitment and the Healthy Compact at the MassDOT Information Center on the web here.